The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-09-18
GROWTH OF THE PANORAMA.
BANT<RD,s THREE MILES OF OANTIi
AND THE Snow OF TO-DAY


Great Cost or the Work when Wen Done
The man who will confess to recollection
OF the time when Banvard's Panorama OF tho
Mississippi" was FIRST unfolded to the admire
ton OF the public may DO suspected Of being
oitber . married man. TO whom youth isAno oh.
ject, or bachelor 80 long bufYeted on the eco
Of celibacy that no has no hope OF ever reach.
ing port. II was long time ago. so long thae
even the multitude OF limitations that followed
the original Barnard. covering journeys By
land, ocean, and river over almost haR
the globe, have all vanished into the at
tics and been forgotten. It was report
cd that there were three miles o.
canvas In Banvard's panorama, That
was probably q managerial fiction; but It u
none tho less certain that there were great
many yards. 1t took hours to reel the picture
of before the eyes OF admiring spectators. and
lecturer with practised lungs was needed to
expatiate on Its beauties. But there were not
many beauties after all. The Mississippi River.
t thpoash lat country cunt. and ills nayieated 81
fat boats which It may or may not be worth
ws TO III ara % Wsse
The world was entitled to the biggest picture.
and
gest throngs 81 spectators that ever attendods
The panorama is credited, with q curious
origin The Italians several HUNDRED yen as
th sar seemed To- t a that they could
devise q plan through which they could
estate the Illusion would serve some q tbs m.
purposes OF the reality They consequently nars
&c. ssPd SD seePai artist
could paint conservatories, gardens, ioaltains,
and parks made Of th "a
show the Mediterranean Sea or the Apenines,
naPPA RoSd eet IL ne
lager beer and music halls which are some
AZ IN shf nspubS
a BSs hoSs7ss rs bssx II the uncertain past
there Il i e Se
Be little doubt either from he SssnninEF, that d
20 good enough 70 endure, Put re ldss seems ps
cyciersms . called also panorams, now holds
the field vacated by its predecessor.
sss ae
you upon long voyage and showed q suoces:
sion 81 scenes. and you we're supposed r. sai!
sets YOU down or rather sets you up. In the
middle Of fixed landscape made memorable
S and PSt sss
Imagination. The oyclorama is an invasion Of
the Held Of historical painting, therefore. and
must be tested by severer canons OF criticism
There are plenty q men who bslieys in nth. the
%ns Gf q Fl hss nS sss
Denver have each Battle q GettysburG: ard assd
city q round house Is being erected for the ex-
hibition OF picture Of TIP same event wash al
1p nion arm S'1 has It's Bull Run st Toais and
cisco It's Msksburg: New Orleans its slsgs q
hss sls ana Batte q pshioh
At the first view OF the spectator the cyolo-
sn abssias Ii the
sented, the objects seeming equal In size with
t sSas HFfPs oos' sfo Ra b S @
more than fifty feet IN elsya,on expands to
the eea
posed 81 real figures and objects: but the
Illusion upon the painted canvas is 50 perfect
@ h Pbs ss hs1Y s sSs
most careful scrutiny the dividing line cannot
be distinguished. Surely. the spectator thinks.
only to the painter ip this Illusion.
. But there f probably no secret deeper thar
es the beSs IN Tie
the perspective will not Be dimlnishod. nor the
rendered BY the obiestiSe portions q tho fore.
feet Of the spectator. and to shut out tie inter.
FEE Sp TO- The baS as Ssow As
upon all sides. and Is permitted tosee no otheR
object. He stands upon platform that seems
iinested This do s aids to ronder the
scene more realistic, but It adds nothing to re-
I or sesss pfsooa S gsS s G oo h e. Pie
&undred feet, Is probably the chief cause Il
Ing FORM Est q ensertSinmenf than the panera%a
two than cantroIIsd the prodaoti9n 81 ts pre-
the extent That results from perfect model
ness than relief, i is not to be- regarded as an
artistic merit. The means for Its attainment
into the motives that govern the production 81
really fine art Then again; thS Syelorama 70
IN
Thus far the painters of these pictures have
peculiar hardship, a battle field. represented
literally as o0f ths mould
hear about personal exposure and heroie
deeds. the men intent on Glorious feats Of arms
are generally trying to keep out OF sight, hiding
ip the woods and behind ridges and fences, for
necessity Of g9Iinas In on "a; & charge:
look at the face OF an enemy.
The line Of battle made by great armies, too
lions OF various kinds on the line OF sight. Il
is sometimes the case that one flank q an
victory when the men on the other flank can
hardly be convinced that anything more than
a little skirmishing had beer. done, Even the
charge IL not what the Imagination paints 1t.
A thin gray, black blue. or green line Of troops,
visible, does not cut very imposing figure
running across q half mile OF open Held against
an Invisible foe. Only the flashing. smoking
batteries on the ridges and hill tops are Grand;
that can DO painted effectively. and they must
all be represented In the foreground.
The adaptability OF the cyclorama for maxi
ing q popular entertainment out Of o battle
field has yet to be established. The Siege OF
Paris was represented to be exceedingly popu-
lar for time; but 1t was novelty and COPY